Spring Queer Forest Bathing Retreat with Toadstool Walks
May 8-11, 2025
Join Tam Willey of Toadstool Walks for our 8th Queer Forest Bathing Retreat collaboration. Spend 3 nights and 3 days on 40-acres of private retreat space at Basecamp at Beaver Falls where Tam will guide participants on daily forest bathing walks with facilitated story sharing and lots of time and space for personal retreat time.
Forest bathing is a guided relational exploration that centers on slowing down, unplugging and awakening our senses while resting outside under the canopy of the forest.
Spend afternoons decompressing in the giant outdoor hot tub or sauna, taking a dip in the river or pond, relaxing in the meadow, etc. Our time will be a mix of structured guided time together as a group, prompted solo explorations on the land, and time for yourself to do whatever feels good for you. Basecamp at Beaver Falls has lots of places to relax both inside and out so bring a book, a journal, favorite game and anything that will support you during your personal retreat time.
All the prompts, invitations, sharing and ways of participating in the guided sessions are wide open to interpretation. There is no fitness requirement or special gear needed. Forest bathing is part of a global effort to tend to the stressful conditions of living in modern industrialized civilization. This program is designed for those looking for space and time to recharge, rest and reconnect with fellow Queer folx.
All vegetarian meals included starting with dinner on Friday and ending with breakfast on Monday. Lodging options include camping and indoor lodging.
*This event is substance-free, which means we ask folks to leave alcoholic beverages and non-prescription substances at home. You do not need to identify as a person in recovery to join a substance-free event with us. For more on our trip substance policies, you can click to view our General Trip and Refund Policies here.
ABOUT YOUR GUIDE
Tam Willey (they/them) has been collaborating with The Venture Out Project since 2017 as an instructor and community liaison, launching the forest bathing retreat collaboration in 2018 in Lyle, Washington. Tam is a certified forest therapy guide, trainer, mentor and educator with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and founder of Toadstool Walks, a guiding practice based in Boston, Massachusetts. Tam has guided forest therapy in collaboration with The Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, The Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Mass Audubon, Boston Harbor Now, Peabody Essex Museum, Lesley University, Boston University School Of Theology, Speak For The Trees and more. Through an evolving love for outdoor adventure such as hiking, backpacking, camping, snowboarding, cross country skiing, and surfing Tam enjoys recreating outside and is passionate about supporting our re-membering of our own nature by facilitating immersive experiences that might build collective empathy and compassion, broaden and heal our relationships with as humans as well as our other-than-human kin and beyond. Tam’s guiding practice is informed by their background as a local handy person, children’s woodworking instructor, custodian, skateboarder, musician, artist, mentor, and their own Queer experience as an active community member serving and uplifting LGBTQ Folks through BAGLY, The Theater Offensive’s True Colors, Black and Pink, and The Venture Out Project. Tam holds CPR, First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, and Mental Health First Aid certifications.
For more information about Tam, check out ToadstoolWalks.com
GENERAL INFO
Location: Basecamp at Beaver Falls, Halifax, VT
(Wabanaki and Elnu Abenaki Lands)
Age: 18+
Start Date: May 8, 2025
End Date: May 11, 2025
Cost: $650-$825 sliding scale
To find out where you fall best in our sliding scale, see the “How much should I pay?” dropdown below.
Includes: All meals, lodging, activities
Doesn't Include: Personal clothing, toiletries, flights
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In order for Venture Out to remain financially viable and sustainable, we have had to increase our prices to account for the increased expenses we are incurring as well as the corporate pullback around DEI support and initiatives. Our priority will always be to keep our trips and experiences as affordable as possible. At the same time, our goal is also to remain self-sustaining so that we can continue to serve our community for at least another 10 years. We are doing everything we can to continue to keep our prices low and we appreciate your understanding of our pricing so that we can continue to flourish as an organization with a queer staff.
Of course you can always spend time in nature for free on your own. What we are offering is not just a wilderness trip, but a chance to create community. On a TVOP trip, you will meet people with shared identities, have meaningful experiences and conversations in community, have someone else plan the logistics of your adventures including food and gear, and have certified Wilderness First Responders on hand should you ever need one. All of the money we collect goes towards operating costs for our programs.
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Our sliding scale is meant to make our trips and events more accessible for those who experience financial barriers, are looking for reparations pricing, and/or have high travel expenses. Paying a higher amount allows us to provide more opportunities to others. Paying a smaller amount is recommended for those who would not otherwise be able to afford the estimated value. Please choose an amount that you will be able to pay, but will not hinder your ability to afford food, housing, etc. By paying as much as you can, we are able to serve more of our community members.
Our sliding scale recommendation:
- Low: Yearly income $30,000 or under, struggles to meet basic needs
- Mid (pays estimated value): Yearly income $40,000-$75,000, some expendable income
- High: Yearly income $80,000-$100,000, comfortable, never struggle with basic needs
Need more examples? We follow the Green Bottle principle. Click here to view and find out where you fall.
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Information for our land acknowledgment was gathered from nativeland.ca, which provides an estimate of original indigenous land occupation, but does not take into account migratory patterns or movement of the many surrounding communities. We recognize the historical complexity of indigenous movement across the land, and honor with gratitude the many, many surviving native nations whose land we benefit from in our work to diversify the outdoors.
